Review: DPS Phantom Permanent Base Glide Treatment

[dbostedo]

You still have those Nomads?

Yes. Good point. They may make good spring/rock skis.

 

[cantunamunch]

If you do a fresh structure twice a year (spring skiing and winter skiing), how long before you use up the bases?

Not long, but you don't need to do that. @Doug Briggs can do you a linear/light cross combo that works well both on gloppy runouts and at 5F with fresh snow off the T bar. Herself campaigned hers for about 40 days - east and west including California mank and Vermont arctic manmade sandpaper and Mid-Atlantic driving rain/monsoon.

 

[Sibhusky]

If you do a fresh structure twice a year (spring skiing and winter skiing), how long before you use up the bases?

I freshen the structure a bit every tune or two with the Ski Visions tool. I have 166 days on one set of skis and 139 on the other. There's TONS of base left. But then I'm not running them through a machine every time.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Not long, but you don't need to do that. @Doug Briggs can do you a linear/light cross combo that works well both on gloppy runouts and at 5F with fresh snow off the T bar. Herself campaigned hers for about 40 days - east and west including California mank and Vermont arctic manmade sandpaper and Mid-Atlantic driving rain/monsoon.

How much base you take off when you structure is dependent on how flat the base is. If you have a flat base, a couple passes with moderate pressure and a fresh dressing of the stone will structure you skis beautifully with negligible loss. If your bases are convex (base high) you need to take off a significant amount of material to get a proper structure on the ski.

Tuners that actually look at the work they are doing will be able to structure with a minimum of base removal. Tuners that just belt then grind away can take off a ton of material. It is the tuner, not the equipment that will either baby your skis or mangle them.

I have been known to structure my skis 4 or 5 times a season. Mostly to make the ptex repairs match. I haven't worn out a ski of my own from structuring them.

 

[ScottB]

Just aaFYI, DPS has been offering Phantom on their new skis since it came out. It cost about $50 and sometimes free. It is the buyers option

 

[Ryan Dietrich]

Just aaFYI, DPS has been offering Phantom on their new skis since it came out. It cost about $50 and sometimes free. It is the buyers option

Oooooohhh.. I have always wanted DPS skis. I am waiting for their summer sale (if they do it again). It'd be cool get factory installed phantom on a set of DPS. I don't have a set of dedicated powder skis, I have a set of "east coast" rossignol's, funny enough, that ski is called "phantom 80" while my "every day" ski is a set of 2014 Volkl Mantra's.

 

[cantunamunch]

Oooooohhh.. I have always wanted DPS skis. I am waiting for their summer sale (if they do it again). It'd be cool get factory installed phantom on a set of DPS. I don't have a set of dedicated powder skis, I have a set of "east coast" rossignol's, funny enough, that ski is called "phantom 80" while my "every day" ski is a set of 2014 Volkl Mantra's.

That name has bounced around a fair bit -anyone remember Phantom ski co? I've sort of been keeping an eye out for one of their Crystal Ships. ..

 

[James]

That name has bounced around a fair bit -anyone remember Phantom ski co? I've sort of been keeping an eye out for one of their Crystal Ships. ..

No, but I skied the Rossi Phantom 80's at Aspen. I think it was the day Sully landed an airliner on the Hudson. Geez, couldn't get a more different ski than a Mantra.

 

[Ryan Dietrich]

No, but I skied the Rossi Phantom 80's at Aspen. I think it was the day Sully landed an airliner on the Hudson. Geez, couldn't get a more different ski than a Mantra.

Yes, the Phantom 80's are *excellent* for icy or super groomed conditions, and were a nice upgrade from my Bandits. After I moved to Utah I needed something with a little more firepower to deal with this new fangled concept called "snow" (I grew up skiing in the east). The tip/tail rocker invention was a godsend, instead of my teeth being rattled out of my head over every little bump of loose snow at the end of the day the Mantra's smashed their way through the crud with ease ... With DPS Phantom they stay slick, a nice bonus. I just am annoyed every day I'm at Alta alone and I get on the lift with three random people and they all have DPS skis on, and start teasing me why I've got such loser skis, lol. (I don't think Mantra's are for losers, they just feel ill-equipped to some of the terrain at Alta when there is tons of snow).

 

[Arcane]

If by spring-like you mean wet and slushy, then that always sucks. Warm weather wax helps, but sticky snow (and feeling like you're getting thrown forward and your skis are being held back) are kind of the norm.

*shudder* brings me back a few years ago.. ~30mph and my left ski hits a patch of slush and basically felt like it came to a stop. Flipped me over and slid on my back for half a mile (ok, so maybe just several dozen yards, but still). That was fun.

 

[KingGrump]

I just am annoyed every day I'm at Alta alone and I get on the lift with three random people and they all have DPS skis on, and start teasing me why I've got such loser skis, lol. (I don't think Mantra's are for losers, they just feel ill-equipped to some of the terrain at Alta when there is tons of snow).

Some skiers know how to turn and some have to buy their turns.

 

[cantunamunch]

Some skiers know how to turn and some have to buy their turns.

It is not as well known as his other quotes about science and magic frex, but Arthur C. Clarke did once say that a sufficiently liquid cash flow is indistinguishable from expertise.

 

[Plai]

sufficiently liquid cash flow is indistinguishable from expertise.

Me thinks: Must ... increase... cash flow....

 

[crgildart]

TL/DR.. What happens if you got the DPS Phatrom treatment but also hot wax them? Does that harm the treatment underneath or does it prevent the wax from sticking at all.. Say really warm or really cold conditions warrant a more temp sensitive tune??

 

[KingGrump]

It is not as well known as his other quotes about science and magic frex, but Arthur C. Clarke did once say that a sufficiently liquid cash flow is ALMOST indistinguishable from expertise.

FIFY.
Almost, until the sh*t gets real.

West Basin Riidge, TSV.

 

[Corgski]

TL/DR.. What happens if you got the DPS Phatrom treatment but also hot wax them? Does that harm the treatment underneath or does it prevent the wax from sticking at all.. Say really warm or really cold conditions warrant a more temp sensitive tune??

I bet this is the going to be the trade off. I think wax will stick, but I doubt it will hold wax nearly as well as an untreated ski. I think that as soon as you design or treat a base to operate without wax, you compromise its ability to hold wax. This may be why ski manufacturers have not been leading the way on this. If they see that treated skis have market acceptance, we may see higher end wax free skis produced (I assume extruded bases fill the low end).

 

[cantunamunch]

Me thinks: Must ... increase... cash flow....

Careful with that, we don't want another Johnstown flood.

 

[cantunamunch]

If they see that treated skis have market acceptance, we may see higher end wax free skis produced (I assume extruded bases fill the low end).

From an engineering elegance point of view, after-process silicone treatment strikes me as very much a stepping stone to something bigger and altogether different.

For example, what's the point of engineering in porosity if it only gets used once every ~2-3 seasons? Wouldn't it be nicer to just extrude a swirl of silicon-based and carbon-based polymers? Especially if they're going to have different wear rates, so that one develops porosity anyway?

 

[KingGrump]

Me thinks: Must ... increase... cash flow....

Cash flow will only go so far. Couple of examples.

Kachina Peak, TSV.
You can always divert the cash flow for a winch cat.

Stauffenburg, TSV. (Photo Credit: Sbrowm)
Pile the bags of dough at the bottom to cushion the fall.

Do the turns the old fashion way – priceless.
There are no short cuts.

 

[Andy Mink]

Part A curing in the sun. These are my wife's Fulluvits.